The Camping Trip
by Leiria
Summary: Harry wants to go camping and he wants Hermione to go with him. They've lived together for years, but never bridged the gap between friendship and something more. Harry wants this trip to lead them over that bridge. HP/HG Rated a very mild M because it might just be too much for a T rating.


AN: This is a submission for The Harmony Shippers' Summer Fun Writing fest. Please R&R.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did. That'd be amazing.

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The Camping Trip

Hermione jumped as a packed tent plopped onto the table in front of her. She looked up at the person who put it there and opened her mouth to ask the question.

"Let's go camping," Harry said before she could vocalize her curiosity.

"Camping?" Hermione asked blinking at him. "Harry, we spent a _year_ camping, remember?" she asked. "It wasn't very fun."

"No," Harry countered as he sat down at the table next to her. "We spent a year hunting for Horcruxes and trying to figure out how to defeat Voldemort. We spent a year with a piece of his soul wrapped around our necks making us all miserable. We were _not_ camping. Yes, we had a tent and yes, we were in the woods most of the time, but this is different. This is recreational, not business."

Hermione sighed and closed her book. She set it down on the table next to the tent. "Why?" she asked. "We have indoor plumbing here. We can control the temperature. We have books here. Why do you want to go camping?"

"Because I've never been," Harry replied. He grinned at her. "The Dursleys weren't the outdoorsy type, and even if they had been, they wouldn't have taken me with them anyway. They'd have left me with Mrs. Fig, the crazy cat lady who turned out to be a Squib planted by Dumbledore to keep an eye on me. Come on. It's my birthday this week and this is what I want to do."

Hermione shook her head as she laughed. "Alright, fine," she agreed. "We'll go camping."

"Yes!" Harry triumphantly exclaimed.

"Is anyone else going with us or am I the only one crazy enough to go with you?"

Harry laughed. "Ron said no, basically for the same reason you said. He said something along the lines of me never being able to get him to willingly enter a tent for the rest of his life, especially a muggle one that isn't larger than it appears. Luna is still in Norway hunting for some creature. Ginny _would_ be willing to go, but only if it was just the two of us and I'm not terribly thrilled at the idea of what she wants to do alone with me. Neville is at a magical plants conference."

"In other words, I really am the only one crazy enough to go with you," Hermione said. She shook her head as she let out a chuckle. "Okay, when are we going?"

"When you're packed," Harry replied.

"Harry, it's Wednesday," Hermione protested. "I work tomorrow. _You_ work tomorrow. We have bills to pay."

Harry shook his head. "I already took care of it."

"You-?" Hermione sighed. "You didn't even know I would say yes."

Harry smiled at her again. There was a heat to his gaze. "You're my best friend, Hermione," he said in a soft voice that both made her heart soar and crumble at the same time. "I knew you wouldn't let me down."

"You're going to be the death of me, Harry Potter," she muttered before she stood up.

"You know you love me," Harry called as she left the kitchen behind. Hermione waited until she was in the hallway and out of view before she sighed, wondering what Harry would do if he knew just how true those words were.

They were three years out of the war. She and Ron never got back together. Ginny was still waiting for Harry to come back around as well. Meanwhile, the two of them shared a flat in London not far from the Ministry, where they both worked. It was easier that way. It made more sense.

But no matter how much she loved him, he made it clear that she was his best _friend_. They slept in separate beds in separate rooms. They were only roommates. There were nights when Harry would go out with the other Aurors and not come home until the next morning. He was always hung over when he walked into the house and Hermione could only imagine what he was doing with some random woman off the street.

She wished that he would see her the way she saw him.

As she went into her room to pack for the trip, Harry stared at the kitchen doorway and wondered when she would see him, really see him. The camping trip was part of that plan. He hadn't asked any of those people to go with them camping. Hermione was the only person he cared about. He knew that if he could plan it for the week of his birthday, she'd agree because she wouldn't leave him alone that day. Camping would bring them together. It would isolate them. They'd only be able to talk to each other and maybe, just maybe, Harry could escape the friend zone with her and move onto the playing field.

A few hours later, Harry smiled and set down the tent. "Here," he said.

Hermione looked around. They stood in a clearing in the middle of a dense forest. "Here?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "It's perfect," he said. "It's clear, flat, and there's no one around for miles. Perfect."

"If that's what you're looking for…" Hermione said.

"Want to help me put up the tent?" Harry asked. "I've never done it before."

Hermione looked at the tent in the bag. "Wait, you mean that's an actual muggle tent?" she asked. "It's not a magical one?"

"It can be if we enchant it, but right now it came from the muggle store and is still completely muggle."

"Wow, you really meant it when you said you wanted to go camping," she said. "Okay. Let's do it."

Harry grinned. He put down his other bags before he pulled the tent out of the bag. With Hermione's help—or rather _instruction_—Harry was able to get the tent set up in less than an hour. They crawled into the small two-person tent and sat down.

Harry found himself staring at Hermione in the soft light of the inside of the tent. "So, did you want to make it bigger?" he asked. "I kinda like it this way."

"You don't think we should have more space?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged, his heart racing. "If you think we need more space, we can make it bigger in here," he offered. "Or you can put your sleeping bag over on that side of the tent and I'll put mine over here."

Hermione shrugged. "We'll do it the muggle way for now," she said. "It's been a long time since I last went camping with my parents. It's nice to not be all magic all the time."

Harry nodded. "I agree," he said. "Although, confession, I'm using magic on the food to keep it fresh and cool," he said.

Hermione laughed. "That's forgivable," she replied. "Should we set up a fire before it gets dark?" she suggested.

Harry nodded and the two of them crawled back out of the tent and started getting the camp into some sort of order. Hermione cleared a spot for the fire and lined it with the largest stones she could find. Harry gathered anything he could find that would burn and brought it back to her. Hermione lit the fire, reminding him of the little flames she would keep in jars to keep them warm in the winter the first year they were at Hogwarts.

Hermione noticed Harry staring at the fire intently. "What is it?" she asked.

Harry let out a chuckle. "Remember those little flames you kept in jars for us our first year?" he asked. "The one you spilled onto Snape's robes when you thought he was the one trying to kill me in that quidditch match?"

Hermione nodded. "I can't believe he's dead," she whispered. "I mean, I kind of thought that there was no way he was getting out of the war alive, but to actually be on the other side of it all…."

Harry nodded. "I know," he sighed. He plucked a blade of grass from the ground beside him and started breaking it apart. "I don't think I ever actually expected to survive the war myself," he confessed. "I thought for sure that I was going to die."

Hermione stared at him for a moment. "Harry, you _did_ die," she whispered.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I did," he whispered. He blew out the breath in his lungs as he tossed the grass into the fire.

Hermione reached out and put her hand on his knee. "We made it," she said in a soft voice.

He nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "But a lot of people died who shouldn't have," he said. "I keep thinking that if we'd been faster at figuring things out that they'd all still be alive."

"Don't put that on yourself, Harry," Hermione argued. "Remember what you told Ron before he left? You _knew_ that we weren't going to be done before Christmas and back to our normal lives in time to graduate. You and I both knew that we could have been on the run for _years_."

Harry stood up and brushed off his legs. He started to walk away but Hermione jumped up to follow him. She grabbed his arm and turned him around. Their eyes met and she felt her breath catch in her throat. The look in his eyes was so intense. There was a storm in his emerald green eyes, and it was raging. "Oh, Harry," she whispered before she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

Harry's breath shuddered before he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. "I'd be dead without you, Hermione," he whispered. "I owe you everything."

"You don't owe me anything, Harry," she replied. "You saved my life too."

He pulled away from her far enough to meet her eyes. He seemed to search for something in her gaze and she wished she knew what he was looking for so that she could give it to him. He sighed before he let her go and took a step back. The loss of his warmth was like a weight that dragged Hermione to the bottom of the sea. She started to reach out to him but held herself back. If he didn't want her, she wouldn't force herself on him. She would drop to her knees and beg him to notice.

She cleared her throat. Harry sighed. He looked like he wanted to say something to her but changed his mind. He walked away from her to the edge of the clearing and disappeared in the trees. Hermione knew better than to follow him again. She knew he needed a minute to collect himself. When he was ready, he'd come back.

She sighed and turned to the campsite. She returned to the folding chair next to the fire and sat down to wait for him to come back.

When Harry returned to the campsite, Hermione had a grate set up over the fire and was cooking some chicken over the flames. Harry sat down next to her, looking up at the darkening sky. "Sorry I disappeared on you," he said.

Hermione shrugged. "It's fine, Harry," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Like an arse for dragging you out into the middle of nowhere and then abandoning you for an hour," he confessed. "I'm sorry. It's not fine."

Hermione sighed. She stopped tending the chicken and turned to him. "I won't lie," she said. "I didn't like it. It was reminiscent of when Ron left us. I don't want to compare you to him. You're both on different levels." She sighed. "Frankly, you walking away from me actually hurt more than when Ron left."

Harry closed his eyes and turned his face away as his cheeks reddened with shame. "I'm sorry," he whispered again. He met her eyes. "I don't ever want to hurt you."

Hermione chewed her bottom lip for a moment. "May I ask you something, Harry?" she asked.

Harry held his hands out like an open book. "Anything," he replied. "You can ask me anything."

Hermione hesitated because she wasn't sure what the answer to the question would be and she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle it if she didn't like his response. "Why haven't you gone back to Ginny?" she asked. "You know she's waiting for you. You know that she'd do anything to be with you. You two were supposed to get back together after the war was over."

Harry let out a breathy chuckle. "That's not the question I was expecting," he said. He sighed. "Honestly?" He shook his head. "I couldn't go back to her even if I wanted to," he confessed. "She's part of the past. She's the girl who fell in love with the innocent me. She…" He let out another chuckle. "She's a pureblood version of my mother and president of my fan club," he whispered. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "I never knew my mom, obviously, but once I thought about it, I couldn't be the cliché, you know?" he asked. "Orphaned hero marries the girl who might as well be his mother? No. Not me."

"So, you fell out of love with Ginny because you didn't want to be a cliché?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. "I was never in love with Ginny," he said. "I was infatuated with her. She was the forbidden fruit being my best friend's little sister. At the time, I honestly thought we could make it and have the whole happily-ever-after deal, but after everything we went through trying to find the Horcruxes, dying, killing Voldemort… I knew there'd be no going back. And as much as she's still waiting for me, I've told her not to. I've told her to move on. I've told her that I can't do it. She's been holding out hope that I'll come around, but…."

"But that ship has sailed," Hermione sighed.

Harry nodded. "Yeah," he said. He studied her for a moment. "What about you?" he asked. "Weren't you and Ron supposed to get back together?"

"You think that I'd go back to someone who abandoned me the minute things got too hard?" she asked. She let out a chuckle and shook her head. "Ron and I… we're not a good fit. Honestly. We fight all the time, we always have. I thought that it meant that he liked me. I thought I liked him. He's a good guy and a great friend, but he's just not my type."

"What is your type?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked at him. She smiled. "Brave," she said. "Kind. Fiercely protective. Loyal. You?"

Harry sighed. He met her eyes. "Smart," he said. "Someone who challenges me to be better. Someone who knows what I've been through and doesn't see the Boy Who Lived."

"What do you do when you're out all night?" Hermione asked. She had to know.

"I go to Andromeda's and sleep on the floor of Teddy's room because he should never feel like he's alone." He hesitated. "What did you think I did?" he asked.

Hermione let out an embarrassed chuckle. "I thought you were hooking up," she confessed. "It sounds stupid now."

Harry tilted his head to the side. "You think about my sex life?" he asked.

Hermione stammered, unable to figure out how to appropriately answer his question. She took in a steadying breath and let it out slowly. "You know what? Yes," she said. "Yes, I do."

To his credit, Harry hesitated before he spoke. "It doesn't exist," he said. "I've never _hooked up_ with anyone."

"Oh," Hermione said.

"And you?" Harry asked. "Since we're putting it out there."

Hermione blushed. "No, no one," she said.

"Good to know," Harry whispered before Hermione flipped the chicken over. She pretended not to hear him, but her heart fluttered in her chest.

That night, Hermione struggled to fall asleep. It had been years since she and Harry last slept in the same room. The sound of his even breathing so close to her made her long to reach out to hold him. She rolled onto her side in her separate sleeping bag, facing him. The moon wasn't full, but it was bright enough that she could see the shape of him sleeping so close to her.

She almost reached out to touch him. She wanted to. She started to, but caught herself, pulled her hand back, then rolled to face the wall of the tent. She closed her eyes and tried to shut Harry out of her head.

The next morning, Harry woke up before Hermione did, so he climbed out of the tent and started the fire. He made breakfast while Hermione slept. His gaze kept sliding to the tent where she slept. She was right there, so close that he could reach out and touch her. He thought about their embrace the day before. The feeling of her in his arms was so right. He wanted to hold her forever and never let her go.

He couldn't be sure if he was reading the signals right. She seemed to want the same thing, but also seemed to back away from it. He almost kissed her yesterday, but it didn't feel right. It wasn't the right moment.

The smells of breakfast drew Hermione from the tent. She emerged with disheveled hair. She rubbed her eyes as she yawned, and Harry found himself staring. He managed to drag his attention back to their breakfast before she noticed.

Hermione smiled as she sat down. "Smells great," she said.

Harry grinned. "Thanks," he said. "Sleep well?"

She sighed. "It's been a long time since the last time I slept in a tent," she said. "And this tent doesn't have beds."

Harry chuckled. "So that's a no?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I slept alright once I finally fell asleep," she confessed.

He hesitated before he grabbed the plates and started dishing out their breakfast. "You had trouble falling asleep?" he asked. "I'm sorry."

Hermione waived off his apology. "It's fine," she said. "It wasn't the camping that made it hard. I usually have trouble getting my brain to shut up and let me go to sleep. I'm always thinking."

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, that's true," he said. "It's one of the things I love about you." He passed Hermione her breakfast and a cup of coffee before settling with his. They sat in silence as they ate. Hermione stared at the fire wondering how long they were going to dance around it. She was almost certain he felt the same about her as she did him, but still had her doubts. She was his _best friend_, after all. And even though she couldn't get the feeling of his arms holding her so tightly and securely the day before out of her mind, he had walked away from her.

She needed an answer and she was determined to get it before they went back home.

She just needed to gather up her nerves and make the first move because she wasn't sure if Harry would.

"Do you want to go for a hike?" Harry asked later in the day. They'd just finished their dinner and he felt restless. "When I took a walk yesterday, I saw a path."

Hermione shrugged. "Sure," she said. "Let me get changed and we'll go."

Harry nodded and set about extinguishing the fire while Hermione got ready for their hike. When she surfaced from the tent, they started walking.

The hiking trail lead up to the top of a large ravine. When they reached it, the sun was starting to set. Harry stood back while Hermione stared at the world around them in awe. A breeze blew her hair back and Harry wanted to capture the moment forever.

"Wow, this is so beautiful," Hermione whispered.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, even though he couldn't see anything but her. He stepped up to her as she turned to face him. He didn't think about it because if he did, he'd never do it. He reached for her, one hand on her waist and the other at the back of her neck. He pulled her close and captured her mouth with his own. This moment was right. It was perfect.

Hermione was surprised for a moment, but she threw her arms around him and held on tightly.

Harry pulled away slowly with a grin on his face. Hermione's eyes fluttered open as she met his gaze. "Wow," she whispered.

Harry chuckled. "I've wanted to do that for a long time," he confessed.

"As have I," Hermione said. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. "I knew you weren't a bad kisser," she chuckled.

Harry laughed. "Yeah?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "Oh yeah."

Harry kissed her again. "I don't want to forget this moment for as long as I live," he said.

"This is a moment I will always remember," Hermione agreed. "I just want to make sure we're on the same page about everything before I get my hopes up."

Harry nodded. "Let's sit," he said. They walked over to a couple of boulders and sat down on them. He faced Hermione. "What do you want?" he asked. "What is it that you're looking for in a partner?"

"Commitment," Hermione answered immediately. "I don't want a relationship that's going to fall apart in a few years. I want something I know is going to end with a marriage. I don't want anything fleeting. I'm not looking for anything purely physical."

Harry nodded. "So am I," he said. "I think it took me this long because I was afraid of what might happen if you didn't feel the same about me that I do for you. I don't want anything to compromise our friendship. You really are my best friend, Hermione. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did something to lose you."

Hermione reached for Harry's hand and squeezed gently. "I don't want to lose you either," she said. "So, we're doing this?" she asked.

Harry smiled. "We've lived together for the last three years," he said. "Before that, we spent a year traveling together trying to defeat the darkest wizard this country's ever seen. For six years before that, you were my best friend, fiercest protector, and guiding light. I've known you since we were eleven years old and I have loved you for years. I would marry you right now if it's what you wanted."

Hermione chuckled. "Why don't we see how we fit together in a relationship before we make it permanent?" she suggested. "I see no downsides to becoming your wife, but just in case we're better as friends than we are as a couple, I don't want to deal with legalities."

"That's reasonable," Harry agreed. He pulled Hermione from her rock and into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rest his head on her shoulder. He held back the urge to tell her that he loved her. Instead, he closed his eyes and relished in the feeling of holding her. Together, they watched the sunset before returning to their camp.

They were both tired when they returned to their tent, so they crawled in, zipped their sleeping bags together, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

"Happy birthday, Harry," Hermione whispered before she let sleep take her away.

Harry smiled and held her a little closer.

Hermione woke the next morning with Harry's arms still holding her tight. She rolled over to face him, hoping not to wake him. The morning sunlight was soft through the tent and he seemed to glow in it. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, grateful that what happened at the end of their hike hadn't been a hallucination.

Harry's eyes opened and he smiled before he kissed her. "Can we just stay here in our own little world and never go back to the real one?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head. "We have too much waiting for us at home," she said.

He kissed her again. "Then can we stay right here for a while longer?" he asked.

She nodded. "That, we can do," she agreed before she kissed him.

"Good," Harry whispered before he rolled over her, kissing her deeply. He settled between her legs as they wrapped around his waist. He wouldn't push her further than she was ready for. He would let her tell him when to stop. He kissed her before meeting her eyes. "Let me know if you want me to stop," he said before kissing her again.

She didn't want him to. They shed their clothes without leaving the sleeping bags and Harry felt like the luckiest man in the world when she guided him inside of her. It was the first time for either of them. Hermione needed a moment to get over the pain but soon nodded that she was ready to keep going.

Afterward, Hermione curled up next to Harry with her head resting on his chest. "Suddenly, I'm glad everyone was too busy to come," she said.

Harry chuckled. "Why else do you think I wanted to go this week?" he asked.

Hermione raised her head and met his eyes. "You didn't actually ask anyone to come, did you?" she asked.

Harry shook his head. "I knew they'd all be busy. I wanted to come out here with just you. I wanted to see if maybe we could be more than friends."

She chuckled and laid her head back down. "You're pretty clever after all, Harry Potter."

Harry laughed. "I learned from the best," he said before he kissed the top of her head and tightened his arm around her.

ONE YEAR LATER

Harry smiled as he lifted Hermione's veil over her head. He cupped her face in his hands as he leaned in and kissed her. People cheered around them and sparks showered down on them. Hermione pulled away with a laugh and looked up. Harry memorized the way the colors reflected in her eyes and made her glow before he scooped her up and carried her back down the aisle.

At the reception, Ron stepped up to him and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm glad it's you, mate," he said, smiling as Hermione and her father danced. "If you hadn't scooped her up, I'd still be pining over her and I would have missed what was right in front of me."

Harry smiled. "I hope you and Rachel are happy," Harry said. "I know we are."

Ron nodded. "We're doing good," he said. "I'm thinking about proposing."

Harry raised his glass of champagne. "I'll be your best man," he said.

"You've got about five brothers to compete with, so we'll see," Ron laughed. "I'm sorry Ginny couldn't make it."

"Couldn't, or wouldn't?" Harry asked.

Ron sighed. "Your guess is as good as mine. She said that she had to do something with the Harpies. I don't know if she called the practice today or if it was already scheduled. Either way, she's not here. I'm sure she'll come around eventually."

Harry sighed. "If she does, that's great, but I'm not going to hold my breath and wait for her," he said. "If that's what she's doing for me, she needs to move on."

Ron watched Harry for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders. "This wasn't exactly what she was expecting when you two broke up," he said. "You know that. What changed?"

Harry watched as Hermione's father spun her around the dance floor. "I fell in love with Hermione the way you fall asleep," he said. "Slowly at first and then all of the sudden. When you left us, when it was just she and I out there trying to figure things out, I watched her dedicate every minute to trying to find the answers. She maintained a brave face, even though I knew she was as scared and disappointed as I was. She gave me the strength to keep going. She was right there when I saw my parents' graves. When I saw their house. When I discovered exactly what I'd survived. And she'd been there for every other moment as well." He tore his eyes away from his bride to look at his best friend. "I waited for as long as I did because I thought she'd go back to you," he confessed.

Ron sighed. "For a long time, so did I," he agreed. "But, like I said, I'm glad it's you. You two are bloody perfect for each other."

Harry grinned. "Thanks, mate," he said as the song ended. "If you'll excuse me?"

Ron nodded. "Of course," he said.


End file.
